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Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots After British Yacht Approaches in English Channel
A British couple sailing their yacht Bright Future encountered the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich on 16 June. The vessel fired warning shots from about 500 yards away in international waters south of the Isle of Wight. British and Russian accounts differ on whether the yacht posed a collision risk.
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A British couple on their yacht Bright Future encountered the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich on 16 June in international waters of the English Channel. The frigate fired warning shots from around 500 yards away after the yacht made an approach the Russian defence ministry described as dangerous. Jane Kelvey stated the yacht was definitely not on a collision course.
The incident took place approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight while the yacht sailed from Lymington to Cherbourg. British authorities said the shots were not aimed at the vessel and followed attempts to contact it. An MoD spokesperson stated the action aimed to prevent a possible collision.
HMS Mersey had shadowed the Admiral Grigorovich for several days after the frigate was spotted off Brest in France. The Russian vessel had operated in the area for some time and received repeated resupply from a repair vessel. A Nato source said Moscow ordered the frigate to escort shadow fleet vessels through the Channel.
The encounter occurred days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel. Russia operates more than 700 shadow fleet vessels that carry 75 percent of its sanctioned oil, the MoD said. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the UK and G7 allies imposed an oil price cap on Russian energy exports.
Stephen Askins, a maritime law expert and former Royal Marines officer, said warships including Russian ones regularly use the English Channel under rights of innocent passage. He noted that warships must still follow collision regulations and are generally not allowed to loiter in territorial waters.
